[autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag] will be stepping in to fight sooner than expected.
Markos will replace injured [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] to meet [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in Brasilia. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the change to MMA Junkie on Thursday after an initial report from Combate. At this time, no specifics on the nature of VanZant’s injury are available.
UFC on ESPN+ 28 takes place March 14 at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The card is expected to stream on ESPN+.
Markos (10-7-1 MMA, 6-6-1 UFC) continued to alternate her win-loss streak when she bounced back with a split decision win over Ashley Yoder at UFC Singapore. The “Ultimate Fighter” veteran has been around since the introduction of the weight class in the UFC and will hold the divisional record for most appearances at 14 when she makes the walk in Brazil.
Ribas (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) upset the highly touted MacKenzie Dern in her last outing at UFC on ESPN+ 19, notching her third win in a row. Her initial opponent, VanZant, was looking to fight out her UFC contract, but that will have to wait.
With the change, the current UFC on ESPN+ 28 lineup includes:
- Kevin Lee vs. Charles Oliveira
- Nikita Krylov vs. Johnny Walker
- Jussier Formiga vs. Brandon Moreno
- Randa Markos vs. Amanda Ribas
- Aleksei Kunchenko vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
- Enrique Barzola vs. Rani Yahya
- Veronica Macedo vs. Bea Malecki
- Maryna Moroz vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
- Gilbert Burns vs. Demian Maia
- Francisco Trinaldo vs. John Makdessi
- Su Mudaerji vs. Bruno Silva
- Damir Hadzovic vs. Renato Moicano
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